cadet blogs

As the days fade into hours and those bleed into minutes until finally you’re waiting impatiently for the OOD (Officer of the Day) to check you off and allow you to “officially” go on leave, you don’t think about the people you’ll be leaving. It’s usually the people and places you will be seeing. At least for me, a 4/c, this is generally the process of my mind. However things are changing, as spring break is finally here, I notice that a large part of the 4/c will be spending at least a part of their time off together. We make plans to go skiing together, invite our new friends to our homes, or as many cadets seem to be doing – heading out to Florida and the beach. We make sure to travel with an Academy buddy and saying goodbye is more difficult. There are more people for us to hug, the people who don’t give hugs feel compelled to actually show that their new friends will be missed. I think back to winter leave and notice that the change is subtle and I feel that our new relationships came upon us swiftly. So many talented youths, literally (hopefully) the best and most determined in the nation, all working their shoulder boards off to make it through this place we call the Coast Guard Academy.

I’ve said this before, but I think it’s important; the people we will know here will be with us throughout our careers. They will have helped us through our worst and celebrated with us at our best. For our firsties, Billet Night has already decided where they will begin to make a name for themselves in the Coast Guard. All of Chase Hall welcomed the news, how could we ignore the constant playing of the latest classic song “I’m On a Boat”?

March 15

My first official spring break/spring leave of my Academy career is already over. The entire corps is now one and a half months away from beginning their summer assignments. Yet I am sure our thoughts are still on what we did for our breaks. I slept, spent time with my friends, family, and favorite pets. On one particular evening I remember just sitting around my living room with three of my best friends catching up on the last few months of our lives. Though we fell into conversation easy enough, I could not help but notice that every once and a while there would be a pause and silence would follow. To me this was an awkward silence in which no one had anything to say. Luckily then one of us would say something completely random but also trademark of our characters and we would all laugh until we were crying. These were some of my favorite times of spring break, but I found myself wondering about the new friends I made here. I wondered what they were doing and if they were enjoying themselves as much as I was.

I am truly lucky to have so many friends in so many places. The Academy has done that. I realize that a big part of our time at the Academy allows us to network; we meet extraordinary people from so many unique places each with their own qualities. I also know that in the future, if I need to call one of my friends they will do whatever they can. I don’t think I had this same confidence in more than ten people just last year. I like to think of myself as a ‘people person’; perhaps that’s why I feel that the relationships we are developing at the Academy are so important and special. We help and encourage our fellow shipmates just as we know we will still be cheering each other on long after we graduate.